To design and build a stability frame - REMAP - Custom made equipment for disabled people
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To design and build a stability frame

  • Kim
  • York
  • 00004657
  • Complete
  • 0 comments

Our client Gillian was experiencing falls particularly when transferring from her chair, from a raised seating position to standing because of her physical motor impairment.

Her occupational therapist approached REMAP to see if there was any way of making something that could be used in conjunction with Gillian’s riser/recliner chair that replicated an existing arrangement in her downstairs toilet.  Her friends had removed the toilet door and fitted a drop-down rail across the doorway, adding a curtain to maintain privacy. She can then lock the rail into place to support herself to standing. Once upright she can lift the rail as once upright and walk unaided.

The Challenge

In his initial visit, experienced REMAP volunteer Gerry Fisher established that Gillian required something robust and stable to hold onto when standing from her recliner chair. This would reduce the distance she ‘runs’ when moving from sitting to standing, reducing the risk of falls. Any rail also needed to be light enough for her to move out of the way. Gillian also requested that any frame should not be attached to her home’s valuable parquet flooring.

Gerry established that no commercially available rails or free-standing equipment were available to meet Gillian’s needs, so a custom-made stability frame was the way forward.

The solution

After four subsequent visits, a few prototypes and modifications later, a system was created using heavy-duty steel tubing (for strength) and a large plywood base that fitted under the electric riser chair. The steel gate bar absorbed the full force of the body when moving forward. The gate can be raised after Gillian feels stable in a standing position by unlatching a locking mechanism. Once Gillian has returned to the chair and is seated, the gate can be lowered and automatically latches into the locked position.

The gate bar weighs approximately 3kg and as such needed a 120N gas strut which means the weight is offset by approximately 95%, therefore allowing for a very easy operation. The nature of the gas strut results in a slowed movement in both the up and down directions. As gas struts are designed to take purely compressive forces, the strut distance is mechanically limited to avoid tensile forces which could cause premature failure of the gas strut if not restricted.

The benefit

This solution has facilitated Gillian’s independence and reduced the risk of falling when moving from a seated to an upright position.

 

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